ENVIRONMENT

Solomon Islanders had long reported Rodents Of Unusual Size, and now science supports them. (Nat Geo News)

Why should we care about giant rats?

Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in our Teachers Toolkit Text Set, including today’s MapMaker Interactive map.

Discussion Ideas

• That’s certainly a clickbait headline. Did a giant rat really fall from the sky?
  • No, of course not. A 9-meter (30-foot) tree was cut down, and a giant rat that was apparently living in the tree came crashing down with it. (Neither specimen survived the fall.)

• At least one mammalogist had been looking for a giant rat in the Solomon Islands since 2010. Why was the existence of the Vangunu giant rat, or vika, not a complete surprise to scientists?
  • traditional knowledge. Local Solomon Islanders had long reported the existence of the vika, which they describe as a large, possum-like rat that feeds on coconuts. Historic accounts from European anthropologists also supported local reports of the species.
  • feces. Everybody poops, and rats are no exception. The investigating mammalogist first identified large rat feces in 2011.

• Why do scientists think the new species is a tree-dwelling rat, and not a burrowing one?
  • in situ evidence. The only known specimen of the species (holotype) was discovered in a tree.
  • tail. Like all mosaic-tailed rats, the new species has a long, scaly tail that “likely provides traction while navigating the treetops.”
  • feet. “Wide back feet with large pads and curved claws are also probably adaptations for life in the trees.”

• The new species weighed almost a kilogram (2 pounds), and measured about half-a-meter (1.5 feet) in length. That’s a giant rat! Is it the most giant extant rat?
  • No. Several species of rat are even more giant.
    • The Sumatran bamboo rat weighs up to 4 kilograms (8.8 pounds) and measures about .5 meter (1.5 feet).
    • The mountain giant Sunda rat is only about half-a-kilogram (1.1 pound), but measures about .6 meter (2 feet).
    • The Gambian giant pouched rat weighs about 1.4 kilograms (3 pounds), and measures about .9 meter (3 feet).

• Why do scientists think the Vangunu giant rat is already an endangered species?
  • loss of habitat. “Timber companies have logged 90% of the Solomon Islands‘ trees, and on Vangunu, the rats are squeezed into remaining patches totaling just 31 square miles.”
  • invasive species. “Feral cats and even other invasive rat species may also be preying on or competing with the Vangunu giant rat.”

TEACHERS TOOLKIT TEXT SET

Nat Geo: Giant Rat That Fell From Sky Is New Species

The Guardian: Giant Solomon Islands rat believed to eat coconuts discovered

Nat Geo: Vangunu Giant Rat map

Nat Geo: National Geographic Emerging Explorer Danielle N. Lee Finding Natural Wonders Hidden in the City